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Weekend Watch: Defending champion Spartans, Thunderbirds launch first serve to kick off volleyball seasons

U SPORTS Staff

Welcome to Weekend Watch, your weekly preview of all the best U SPORTS action that can’t be missed across Canada West, the OUA, RSEQ and AUS.

For U SPORTS Football Weekend Watch, click here.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Trinity Western @ Alberta

Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
Canada West TV Presented by Co-op

Volleyball action officially gets underway in Canada West on Friday night, and included in the opening weekend’s games is a marquee matchup between the defending national champion Trinity Western Spartans and the Alberta Golden Bears. The Spartans defeated the Brandon Bobcats in straight sets last winter to claim their third national title in four years.

Trinity Western will again rely on Eric Loeppky for an offensive spark, after the outside hitter and Steinbach, Man., native took home Championship MVP honours last season.

The Golden Bears will be under new management as Brock Davidiuk has taken over the helm of the program after Terry Danyluk stepped down after 28 seasons as head coach. Davidiuk will be looking to guide his Bears to a 20th consecutive U SPORTS championship appearance this season.

Full Schedule

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

UBC @ Winnipeg

Saturday, 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT
Canada West TV Presented by Co-op

On the women’s side, the UBC Thunderbirds took home an unexpected come-from-behind national title for the second time in three years last season over Ryerson. The T-Birds went into the tournament as the No.8 seed and after a pair of upsets, stunned the defending champions with a five-set victory.

UBC begins their championship defence against the Winnipeg Wesmen, but unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, they will have to attempt to do so without last year’s most valuable player, Kiera Van Ryk.

Van Ryk took home the prestigious Lieutenant Governor Athletic Award as U SPORTS Female Athlete of the Year last season. In the unprecedented national championship run, she led the Thunderbirds to U SPORTS supremacy, securing Tournament MVP to go along with her women’s volleyball Player of the Year honours. But the outside hitter, who also plays on Canada’s senior national team, signed a professional contract to play in Italy’s Serie A1 this season.

First serve also flies in the RSEQ this weekend, with defending men’s champion Laval and reigning women’s champion Montreal both facing Sherbrooke

Men: Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT, Livestream 

Women: Saturday, 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT, Livestream

Full Schedule

WOMEN’S RUGBY

No. 4 Guelph @ No. 3 Queen’s

OUA final
Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
OUA.TV 

The No. 4 Guelph Gryphons will travel to Kingston to take on the No.3 Queen’s Gaels for the OUA Women’s Rugby Championship on Friday night. This is the first time in program history that the Gaels will host the OUA final.

Guelph has knocked Queen’s out of the playoffs three years in a row, but the Gaels will be looking to continue their unbeaten streak with a win against their bitter rivals.

Last week, Queen’s rolled past the Brock Badgers in the semifinals with a resounding 74-3 victor, while Guelph’s Julia Shell led the way for the Gryphons against McMaster with four tries and six conversions.

The Gryphons have won an OUA title three years in a row, but the Gaels will be looking to duplicate their success from 2013, where they were crowned Ontario champions.

Both teams have booked their ticket to the national championship this year hosted by the University of Ottawa.

Playoff action also takes centre stage across the nation, with the RSEQ and AUS semifinals, as well as the Canada West Final 4 hosted by Lethbridge all on tap.

Full Schedule

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Carleton @ No.5 Montreal

Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
Livestream

History will take place at the CEPSUM Arena this Friday, as the No.5 Montreal Carabins kick off their 10th anniversary season by retiring a jersey for the first time in franchise history. Former Carabins forward Kim Deschênes’ No. 9 will be hung in the rafters in a ceremony before puck drop against Carleton Ravens.

Deschênes was at the centre of many great moments in the history of the Carabins, including the team’s first goal and captaining the club to its first national championship in 2013.

No. 4 Concordia @ No.2 McGill

Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT
Livestream

No. 10 York @ No. 9 Western

Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
OUA TV

Full Schedule

HONOURABLE MENTION

MEN’S SOCCER

The last week of the regular season is upon us in the Canada West, OUA and RSEQ conferences. AUS regular season action will continue until next week.

No.8 StFX @ No.1 Cape Breton

Friday 4:15 p.m. ET / 1:15 p.m. PT
AUStv

No.6 Ryerson @ No.4 Carleton

Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT
OUA TV

Full Schedule

WOMEN’S SOCCER

No. 10 York @ No. 8 Western

Friday, 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT

Full Schedule

MEN’S HOCKEY

No. 4 StFX @ No.2 UNB

Friday, 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT
AUStv

No. 7 Guelph @ No. 5 Carleton / No. 3 Ottawa

Friday/Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET /  4:00 p.m. PT
OUA TV

Full Schedule

SWIMMING

OUA Sprint Invitational @ Guelph

Saturday

Downtown Sprint Meet @ Toronto

Friday/Saturday

AUS Amby Legere Invitations @ UNB

Saturday/Sunday

Watch all conference events on Canada West TV Presented by Co-op, OUA TV and AUStv. RSEQ teams stream their games independently – check your local listings.